On-Lien Algebra Class?

[Anonymous-0]

This is an unusual question, but there is a sense of community on this board.....

Do any of you know of an on-line institution which offers pre-algebra and algebra I classes for credit? Specifically, I am looking for a class which may allow me to work along side a young man who is at a dead end in his educational persuits as he has yet, despite considerable effort, been unable to conquer algebra.

I am familiar with what the local technical college offers, but am looking for other options. This person has finished high school.

I know this is a far stretch from old tractors, but this young man is a good friend of mine, loves old iron as we do, but needs a hand-up, (not a hand-out).


Thank you,
Glenn F.

 

[Pat-CT]

http://www.universalclass.com/i/course/learn-algebra-101.htm

Maybe? just googled it...

 

[blackbeartractor]

Most University now offer courses often through a service called blackboard. At least that"s the case for UMO.

BBT

 

[T_Bone]

Hi Glenn,

Call your local University and ask to speak the the math professor. Then ask for a student that would like to tutor math, one on one after hours. Ask for one that is sharp in algebra.

The person will learn more in 15hrs than a year at a collage class. $300 is pretty cheap learning.

T_Bone

 

[Howard H.]

Hi Glenn -

Almost every self-respecting university in the country has an online program these days.

I agree with T-Bone in one respect - get with your local university first. They'll probably have a library that will be handy, computer labs, etc...

As a student, you might even qualify for benefits like free use of the activity center and free copy of Office 2007 (Microsoft's package of Word, Excel, etc). (at least those are a couple of benefits that students get at the university where I work).

The one benefit of actually signing up (as opposed to just using a tutor) is you'd get credits that would go on a transcript and/or towards a degree.

There are several online platforms out there (Blackboard, e-college, moodle, etc), but the quality really comes from the instructor and classmates, not so much the delivery mechanism itself.

Be sure and compare prices, too - online classes prices can vary widely.

Howard

 

[TomH in PA]

If he"s already made "considerable effort" I doubt taking a college or community college course will help. A private tutor might if the person is trained at teaching remedial math. Unfortunately most people who try to teach math are really bad at getting a concept across to people who can"t see it the first time.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Heck, does anyone understand Algebra? I never was able to grasp it, but I am fairly proficient at Trig and Geometry. I have spent the last 30+ years in machine shop designing and building molds for plastics. Half of that job is math.. IMHO, Algebra is something that cruel old Spinster teachers used to torture students, and it has no use in the real world..

 

[Mattlt]

Just an idea, but maybe a physics class would be more interesting to him? I learned more about math and algebra in my one year in physics class than I did in all my other math classes combined. It seemed to pull everything together in a practical sense. Before that, the math was just stuff written on paper, but when I could apply it to a real-life situation, it made more sense.

I'm sure it helped that the class was taught by a very good teacher. One of those teachers that you could really look up to, not one that's just there collecting a paycheck.

 

[Nolan (foxtrapper)]

I've never met a person who wasn't actually quite good at algebra. Though I've met many who didn't know it and thought they couldn't do algebra, all because of the horrible way it is normally taught.

If you have a community college night course for adults, that one is usually the one taught well. It's usually targeted for people who think they can't learn algebra.

I would also strongly suggest Danica McKellar's math books "Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss" and "Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail" They are darn good math books, aimed right at this person. With them he can probably finally understand it. But, if he or you is just a sexist jerk and can't get past the titles...

 

[charles todd]

Formulas that we use everyday are algebraic equations. We have this and that, looking for the missing part. IE: Ohms Law, pulley ratios, ect.

CT

 

[S.Crum]

I'm told we are 'genetically wired' for this kind of thing. My Father was very smart with math and could come up with the correct answer to the most complex problems right in his head. Me? you might as well ask a fence post! A calculator was God's gift to my survival, I struggle with the simplest math problems. The there's my son who is like my Father, a walking calculator. Frustratingly enough he doesn't apply this in any engineering disipline. But I'm praying he'll eventually find his nitch